Decision Making Deconstructed - Understanding the Role of Bias

Bias can come in a variety of forms. Here are five different types of bias and tips for how we can avoid them in the future:

• Confirmation Bias: When we look for information that supports already existing beliefs or use information and data to support a specific conclusion without considering the possibility of other conclusions [1, 2].

 How to avoid confirmation bias [1, 2]:

• • • Look for information from a variety of sources.
    • Challenge your conclusions and ask yourself “What if I’m wrong, where does this information take me?”
    • Surround yourself with a diverse group of people and share your thoughts and ideas, making sure you’re open to hearing differing points of view.
      
      
•  Anchoring Bias: This is also known as “first impression” bias. This is done when we jump to conclusions and make a final judgement based on information gained earlier in the decision making process [1, 3].

 How to avoid anchoring bias [1, 3]: 

• • • Take your time whenever possible to make decisions. One thing that can lead to "anchoring" is having to make fast decisions or having a habit of making quick decisions.
    • Avoid procrastination to give yourself as much time as possible to make decisions and ask for more time whenever needed.
      
      
•  Overconfidence Bias: When we rely too heavily on our own knowledge and experience without taking into consideration additional information [1, 4].

 How to avoid overconfidence bias [1, 4]:

• • • Assess your sources of information to determine if they are fact based and objective.
    • Ensure the decisions you’re making have been informed by additional sources and do not solely rely on your knowledge and experience.

• Gambler’s Fallacy: When we expect past events to influence the future, or, when we notice a specific situation happening more often than not, we might assume the chances of it happening again are less when in fact the past has no impact on the future. An example of this is a coin flip, if we get heads multiple times in a row, we might assume the next time we flip the coin the chances of heads are less when in fact, the chances remain 50/50 [1, 5].

How to avoid gambler’s fallacy [1, 5]:

• • • Look at data and information from a number of angles
    • Expand your view by looking at a bigger picture; what other influences or variables could be affecting the data you are seeing?
    • Understand that individuals live in systems (family, community, and environment) that can all influence behavior.
      
      
• Fundamental Attribution Error: This is when we blame others when things go wrong instead of considering facts. This could happen when we see someone missing their medical appointments, we might begin to blame them and see them as lazy or uncaring about their health instead of considering other factors that might be causing someone to miss appointments [1, 6].

How to avoid fundamental attribution errors [1, 6]:

• • • Approach situations without judgment and with empathy.
    • Assess your own personal biases around race, gender, ability, etc. and reflect on your own behavior and ideas.

Additional Links and Resources:

These videos explore other forms of bias. There can be different terms for the same type of bias depending on social setting, industry, and research explored. All forms of bias are important to be aware of to help us identify the different aspects that affect our decision making process.

12 Cognitive Biases Explained - How to Think Better and More Logically Removing Bias

It's Time To Address The Role of Implicit Bias Within Health Care Delivery (Health Affairs Blog)

• This article explore the false sense that inequity comes from outside the health care system and how health care systems can adapt to actively address these inequities within their practice.

The 5 Biggest Biases That Affect Decision-Making (Your Brain at Work)

• The NeuroLeadership Institute has identified 5 biggest biases that affect decision making, these biases are identified as: Similarity Bias, Expedience Bias, Experience Bias, Distance Bias, and Safety Bias.

Outsmart Your Own Biases (Harvard Business Review)

• We are all susceptible to biases and the first step to addressing them in becoming more aware of what our biases are and how they show up in our decision making processes.

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